Bittersweet
by CrazedConfusion
Summary: Shattered. Broken. This is his new reality, and he sees now how he was blinded, how he simply looked past every insincere gesture, so eager was he to be loved. And only now does he see how his lover fooled him. But if he came back that moment, he'd fool him again. Slash, Knuxadow. Based off Evanescence's My Immortal. Kind of dark.


He leaned forward, wrapping his arms around his knees.

A single tear slipped down his face.

Come home, he whispered. I'm so sorry.

_His eyes caught smooth violet._

_Look, Shadow! They seemed to cry out, begging for his attention._

_He had held out his hand to reveal three little gold bands._

_One for me, one for you, and one for our favorite place, he had whispered. If we ever find one._

_He had slipped one round his own middle finger, hidden beneath his snow-white glove. Then, the same for Shadow. He slipped the third into his pocket._

_I love you, he had said. I'll never leave. I swear._

He pressed his head to his knees.

Oh, what a fool I've been, he thought.

Come back, he said aloud. Another tear ghosted down his cheek, falling into the grass.

_Knuckles, please! He had screamed. Don't go, please, I -_

_Shadow. I don't have a choice._

_The response was cool, calm and collected. How could it be? Shadow thought now. I was a fool, to be pulled in by his charming allure and sweet simple-mindedness. _

_Knuckles, please. I still love you! You promised-_

_His memory self was pathetic, he decided._

_I'm sorry, Shadow._

_Knuckles!_

A scream, pitiful and terrible. The ghost of a voice once loved – still loved.

Please come back.

_He clung childishly to the larger hand._

_Promise, Knuckles. Promise you'll always love me._

_I- I promise._

_Only now, far too late, did Shadow notice the moment of hesitation in Knuckles' voice, his reluctance to reply._

He could feel himself slipping away. He clutched at his sides, pulling himself close. He stared into the water.

The rain was pouring down, blurring the water and disguising the tears.

I will never love again.

_He's gone. He won't come back. He doesn't love you. He never will._

_Shadow fled the building, to the only place he knew to go._

He trailed his gloved hand in the shallow water, stirring up the mud beneath.

He didn't care what happened to his glove. At this point, he was beyond caring for anything.

_Shadow, don't cry. Shadow, I love you. _

_A white-gloved hand reached forward, wiping away the tears that fell._

_Shadow, I love-_

Lies. All lies. All of it.

Left him broken, stranded with nothing left. Nothing but an empty shell. Broken.

_Knuckles, I'm scared. Knuckles, hold me._

_How pathetic he'd been when the thunder had rolled around._

_Don't be afraid. I've got you._

_Only now did he realize the insincerity in his voice._

Another tear fell to the ground. He pulled off his mud-stained gloves to reveal a golden band round his middle finger.

You can join the rest.

I'm going insane. I miss you so, even though you killed me.

Ruby eyes once sparkled, but now they were dull.

I hate you so much, but I love you still.

I thought you were the one. You swore you'd never leave.

_Shadow screamed._

_What? What is it?_

_He bit his lip._

_Another nightmare?_

_A nod._

_Come here, love._

_How eager he had been, to pretend he was madly in love with a broken boy._

_They can't hurt you here. They can't and they won't._

_But you can, my darling._

You used to dry my tears. You'd fight away all my fears, but now you're gone. And I'm here, scared and alone. And I miss you. I need you, so desperately.

Please come back.

_Miss me, Shadow?_

_Please, Knuckles, I'm so sorry._

_Me too, Shads. I never should've left. It was a mistake, and I'm sorry._

_Knuckles-_

_I get it if you've moved on. But I'm begging you to take me back. I made a terrible mistake, and I'm so sorry._

_Three steps forward._

_Sweet and simple._

_Don't ever leave me again._

Shadow pulled the band off his finger and twirled it in his fingers. Stared at the inscription inside. _I. _One letter. One word. He took a shaky breath. Reached a hand into his pocket. Pulled out two gold bands that match the first, with little inscriptions, _love _and _you. _

_How could I have been so stupid?_

__He threw the rings, one by one, into the lake. Each time creating ripples. Waited till the ripples were gone before throwing the next.

He sank to his knees in the mud, tears dripping into the water. And he swore to himself there would be no more. These would be the last tears he ever shed in the name of the cruel red echidna.

All for a boy who left him shattered on the floor.

_I never stopped loving you._


End file.
